Ask a neighbor or your agent to point out any mismatched elements that don’t really go with the architecture. Consider removing or replacing them.

"I sold a 1910 Craftsman home that had rusted 1950s metal awnings perched above every window," Kean says. "Not only did the awnings cover the beautiful period moldings surrounding the windows, but they blocked light from getting into the house."

Chain link and iron bar fencing are also major turn-offs, he says. The best choice, if you can afford it, is to replace it with nicer fencing. If money is tight, plant a climbing vine or hedge to cover it up.

Another way to add curb appeal is to make sure your lawn is green, says Jason Jacques, president of Exit Mountain Realty in Brevard, N.C.

Besides fertilizing your lawn in early and late spring and early and late fall, and making sure it gets enough water, a little-known secret to a greener lawn is to cut the grass a little longer.

Set your mower deck to the highest level. You’ll have to mow the lawn more often for a while, but when your house is for sale, you want buyers to fall in love when they drive by for the first time, Jacques says.

Even if it’s green, however, a lawn full of weeds and crabgrass will look like a maintenance nightmare to prospective home buyers.

In the spring, use a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent weeds from growing.

If your lawn is a lost cause, consider hiring a landscaper to tear it out and lay new sod.

Whether pricey improvements pay off in a quicker or more lucrative sale largely depends on where you live. Before you spend money, take note of where the return on investment is best.

Remodeling Magazine says projects with a return exceeding their cost are more common in markets with rapidly rising home prices and demand for specific projects varies by neighborhood and region. You’ll recoup more of your expenses if you make an improvement that brings your home up to a neighborhood-wide standard, like having a deck, or that makes sense for the region, like a backup generator where hurricanes are common.

According to the magazine’s 2014 Cost vs. Value Report, homeowners will earn the highest return on their investment in Honolulu; San Francisco; San Jose, Calif.; San Diego; and Bridgeport, Conn. Only Honolulu and San Francisco offer the possibility of recouping more than you spend.

More broadly, you’ll recoup the highest percentage of your upgrade dollars if you live in the Pacific states (California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii), thanks to the region’s strong retail values.

You want your home to stand out for how attractive it is, but you don’t want it to stand out for how different it is.

Overimproving your home compared to others in the neighborhood will be a sunk cost.

And a home that looks mismatched with its neighbors may not sell at all.

Jason Jacques, president of Exit Mountain Realty in Brevard, N.C., says one of his agents listed a home in a great location that should have sold for more than $700,000. However, a recent remodel had changed the entire look of the house.

The now Spanish-style stucco home looks like it belongs in the desert of a Western state, he says, but it sits in the middle of a small North Carolina town full of Arts and Crafts-style homes and cottages.

The seller withdrew the house from the market after being listed for 343 days.

Remodeling Magazine says replacement projects consistently provide a better return on investment than discretionary remodeling projects. The average replacement project should return 73.7% this year, while a remodeling project might only bring back 65.1%.

In its 2014 survey, conducted in conjunction with the National Association of Realtors, seven of the top 10 best home improvements were exterior replacements.

A new steel entry door will return nearly 97% of its cost, which averages $1,162. Add a wood a deck and you’ll recoup about 87% of your $9,539 expense.

Another moderately priced improvement is garage door replacement, which recoups about 84% and costs $1,534. Another pricey project, wood window replacement, costs nearly $11,000 but returns 79.3% of its expense at resale.

These costs are hypothetical; what you’ll actually pay depends on how much materials cost, the finishes you choose and what contractors are charging in your area.

If your home isn’t in good condition overall, or if your local market is performing poorly, you might not see much of a return on your projects.

"The most important thing a homeowner should focus on is the entry way," says Katie Wethman, a Realtor with Keller Williams in Washington, D.C.

Wash it down thoroughly, get rid of any cobwebs and add some pots with colorful flowers. Sellers want to "create the right impression in an area where buyers are lingering while agents fumble with the lockboxes and keys," she says.

Agents also suggest that sellers make sure the doorbell works, put a fresh coat of paint and new hardware on the front door, paint the mailbox and add new house numbers.

The path to your front door should be clearly defined, free of debris and wide enough to walk up comfortably. Replace your worn-out welcome mat with a brand new one, and sweep the porch before showings.